At the museum, we see lots of different kinds of people filling the role of ‘group leader’. We see teachers, parents, big sisters, that big kid in the fourth grade… Whoever you are, if you’re leading a group of students on a tour through the museum, you may want to boost your confidence before the big day (i.e. before you’re a tour guide). That way, you’ll know what to say when your students start asking questions about history. You may be thinking, ‘That doesn’t happen!’ …but in a museum, trust us, it does.

Greene, Wilma Prudhum. Museums and Learning: A Guide for Family Visits. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement and Smithsonian Office of Education, April 1998.

Metcalf, Fay D., and Matthew T. Downey. Using Local History in the Classroom. Nashville, TN: The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), 1982.

Michigan History for Kids and The Mitten. Published by Michigan History magazine and used in fourth grade classrooms. Previous issues may be purchased from Michigan History or download free PDFs of the issues and teacher’s guides online. Contact Michigan History for more information.

Neal, Arminta. Exhibits for the Small Museum: A Handbook. Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1976.